Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

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We get an early look at the DS tie-in to the Disney summer sequel.

By Craig Harris

Buena Vista's going all out when Disney releases Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest to theaters this fourth of July weekend. Before that film launches, the company will release three handheld versions of the flick. So whether you've got a PSP, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy Advance, you'll be able to take your swashbuckling on the go.

Buena Vista recently brought by a work-in-progress version of the Nintendo DS variation of Dead Man's Chest to let us check out the direction this handheld version's taking on the dual-screen portable. In the DS edition, players can control either Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, or Elizabeth Swann in a brawler design in similar vein to Double Dragon. Each character has his own capabilities and moves to take out the seemingly endless waves of enemies in more than 17 levels based around locations in the film.

In our short hands on with the Alpha build of the Nintendo DS version, we experienced a very solid and versatile 3D engine - the environments, characters, and items are all in 3D and even in this early stage the game held its own quite well. The level designs even incorporated some interactive elements that players can trigger, like cannons or traps to lure enemies into in order to take them out.

The Nintendo DS version will feature a series of mini-games to unlock, supporting the Nintendo DS wireless function in these short challenges. The entire game actually features a two player co-op mode, so buddies can pair up to beat the game together using the local wireless networking.

Hit the link below to check out the first screenshots of the Nintendo DS game in action. We'll have more on the game as it progresses into development.